I recently caught up with UFC fighter, Cagerage Heavyweight Champion and former strongman Oli Thompson. Check it out…

Jay Cee: “Hi Oli, great to have you on The MMA Review. Firstly I have to start by talking about you having to drop out of your fight against Phil Defries at the UFC 138 event due to an injury. Please tell me a bit about the injury, how it happened and how long it will take to heal up?”

Oli: “I was wrestling and got my arm hyper extended, it made a POP noise and was painful, after that it had no strength. We found out I had a torn muscle in my arm. It was not fully torn, but enough to keep me out for 5-6 weeks.”

Jay Cee: “It is never nice for a fighter to get injured during a training camp especially as you were about to make your UFC debut. But as we all know injuries are part of the game and it is better to fight another day at 100%. What is the current situation with you and the UFC? and will your next fight still be within the UFC?

Oli: “It’s all good, I still have four fights on my contract and hope to debut really soon.”

Jay Cee: “I want to talk a bit about how you first got into MMA. As many will know you won the title of “Britain’s Strongest Man” in 2006. What I would like to know is who or what first got you into MMA?”

Oli: “I was looking for something to compete in after strongman, a few of my friends did BJJ and Wrestling so I trained and fought pro a month or so after.”

Jay Cee: “What gym/gym’s do you currently train at? and what is your favorite part of training?”

Oli: “I train at Wolfslair, First Gen Fitness and Brighton for boxing. I love the feeling of being in my best shape and fit to fight as many rounds as I want. It gives me massive confidence.”

Jay Cee: “What do you think of the MMA scene in the UK at the moment? and where can you see it going in the future?”

Oli: “The UK seen is picking up, a lot of the top guys are getting on the big shows and making a living from MMA.”

Jay Cee: “What are your goals for the future? What can we expect to see from Oli Thompson within the next 5 years?”

Oli: “I want to get some UFC wins and improve my game between every fight.”

Jay Cee: “Last question now Oli…Who is your favorite MMA fighter past or present? And why?”

Oli: “Really like Frankie Edgar atm, love his pace, conditioning and amazing movement”

Jay Cee: “Ok, great! Thanks for taking part in this interview Oli. I really do appreciate it mate and I also wish you a speedy recovery. Can’t wait to see you fighting in the UFC!”

 The End

To find out more about Oli Thompson you can visit the following websites:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/OliThompsonMMA

Website: http://www.olithompson.com/

Thanks for reading guys!

Jay Cee.

First image sourced from “www.zimbio.com” via Google Images.

Second image sourced from “www.rawfit.co.uk” via Google Images.